What is the term for strengthening habits and memories through repeated use?

The correct term for strengthening habits and memories through repeated use is known as recency. This concept emphasizes that information or skills that are practiced or recalled frequently are more likely to be retained and recalled later. When we engage in repeated practice, we reinforce neural pathways in our brain, making it easier to access that information in the future.

The principle of recency aligns with the psychological phenomenon where items or skills learned most recently are more readily recalled than those learned earlier. In instructional contexts, applying recency can involve regular review and practice of material to strengthen memory retention, ensuring that students are consistently engaging with the content.

Association refers to connecting new information with existing knowledge, while primacy relates to the tendency to remember the first items presented in a sequence. Disuse entails a weakening of memories when they aren't practiced or recalled, which is the opposite of strengthening. Each term addresses different aspects of memory and learning but doesn’t align with the process of habit reinforcement as effectively as recency does.